Our Opinion: Human Sexuality course at Western Nevada College goes too far

The State Board of Education did the right thing Friday: It effectively barred high school students from enrolling in a controversial Human Sexuality class at Western Nevada College.

Now, it wouldn't be a bad thing if the Nevada System of Higher Education put the brakes on the class for adults, too - at least until a clear decision is made about whether the curriculum is appropriate for students of any age.

The WNC class raised eyebrows when the Nevada Appeal reported in November that one student in the class - a mid-career medical professional - told instructor Tom Kubistant that she wasn't comfortable with some of the at-home coursework, which included masturbating, keeping a sex journal and drawing orgasms. Though professors at other colleges said the curriculum did indeed cross boundaries that shouldn't be crossed, an independent investigator concluded that Kubistant had done nothing wrong. Indeed, a group of Kubistant's students responded to the Appeal story with fervent endorsements of the professor and the class.

State university regents have not yet weighed in on the issue, and the U.S. Department of Education's Civil Rights Division has not yet ruled on the student's complaint.

No matter.

The state should conduct its own investigation of the curriculum. It should conclude that some of it is inappropriate - even for adults, let alone high school students seeking dual-course credit. It should order that students be allowed to opt out of any assignment that crosses the line between academic theory and what may be considered therapy.

WNC is an integral part of this community, and its presence is an ongoing asset to the quality of life here. As an institution of higher education, its mission is and should be to educate, challenge and provoke thought and discussion.

But when it comes to public education, at any level, community consensus should matter. And the majority of opinions expressed to date on this controversy leave no room for ambiguity: Some of what's being taught in WNC's Human Sexuality course has no place in the classroom.